Kickers

[laip51]

I am new to the forum and hope this hasn't been asked before. I  have machines with different placement of "kickers"....some at 5 o'clock and others at 12 o'clock.  Is there any reason to vary placement?  Does it depend on machine or direction of rotation?

[moondog]

I am new to the forum and hope this hasn't been asked before. I  have machines with different placement of "kickers"....some at 5 o'clock and others at 12 o'clock.  Is there any reason to vary placement?  Does it depend on machine or direction of rotation?

Most of us refer to these as product pushers.  It's always best with a snack machine to keep the same item vending in the same column.  Use the correct coil pitch (number of slots per coil) and customize your placement of the product pushers to ensure the most consistent vend.  The least effective placement of a product pusher is at the end of the coil which is where I see that many people have them.  When you set your snack machine up, test vend each item several times and use the product pushers to alleviate the hang ups - 12 o'clock is the best position but place the pusher where it's most effective for that specific item.  For example,  I use one at 12 o'clock for popcorn and another at 6 o'clock mounted backwards.  

 

Get creative and you'll find that the pushers will solve almost all of your hang ups.

[Vending How Chris]

In addition you may also have to use spacers to limit the amount of horizontal movement your product can make when the coil is spiraling to vend it. This and all the useful stuff moondog said should alleviate most everything that stops product from vending besides customers shaking the machine.

[loach33]

Most of us refer to these as product pushers.  It's always best with a snack machine to keep the same item vending in the same column.  Use the correct coil pitch (number of slots per coil) and customize your placement of the product pushers to ensure the most consistent vend.  The least effective placement of a product pusher is at the end of the coil which is where I see that many people have them.  When you set your snack machine up, test vend each item several times and use the product pushers to alleviate the hang ups - 12 o'clock is the best position but place the pusher where it's most effective for that specific item.  For example,  I use one at 12 o'clock for popcorn and another at 6 o'clock mounted backwards.  

 

Get creative and you'll find that the pushers will solve almost all of your hang ups.

So when you say 12 o clock....I assume that means the end of the pusher is at 12 oclock....as in the fat part?  So the auger sits at 6 oclock and you clip it on so the pusher goes all the way to the top?  That seems weird and I can't say that I've seen other machines doing that.  But if it works....

[moondog]

So when you say 12 o clock....I assume that means the end of the pusher is at 12 oclock....as in the fat part?  So the auger sits at 6 oclock and you clip it on so the pusher goes all the way to the top?  That seems weird and I can't say that I've seen other machines doing that.  But if it works....

12 o'clock would be the straight up position, usually about 3 inches back from the end of the pusher.  With the popcorn, I reverse the pusher at the bottom (6 o'clock) to keep it from sliding out if somebody shakes the machine - once they decide they can't get the free popcorn they'll usually stop shaking the machine which can pretty well mess everything up.

 

It's not written in stone where you place your pushers - place them where they'll work best. 

[Feral Vending Mechanic]

And test vend it a few times, just to make sure. 

 

Some very light products, like jerky, I will put two pushers; one at 12 0'clock, and one at 2. Just to give it that extra bit of push on the right side.